Networks to structure the local area
The local history of TotalEnergies has been closely linked to that of the region for over 70 years. Over time, networks have been built around its technological and innovation activities. These partners have always shared with TotalEnergies the desire to network the region and develop local attractiveness. Among them: APESA, the Avenia cluster, Chemparc, Lacq Plus, the Hélioparc Technopole.
APESA - Benoît De GUILLEBON, President
“The APESA is an association that was created around 25 years ago by a group of socioeconomic players including the TotalEnergies company (Elf Aquitaine at the time), who held the firm belief that economic development could not take place without the serious consideration of environmental issues.
Innovation is in the APESA’s genes: from the drive to create the association to explore future avenues to the ramp-up of its research activities, it guides its initiatives to accompany and plan ahead for technological and societal developments.
Its relations with the TotalEnergies group have developed in tandem with the development of its different themes: SSE prevention, biomass valorization, eco-innovation and the creation of societal value.
With 45 members in the association, the APESA is now a reference technological center in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, in providing advice and guidance to accompany the ecological transition.”
Chemparc - Pierre NERGUARARIAN, President
“The Chemparc Public Interest Group is a regional economic catalyst based in the Lacq basin. It works in synergy with the neighboring sectors of the Pays de l’Adour.
Chemparc federates all the socioeconomic partners: The French State, local communities, industrialists and service providers, the Pau Béarn and Bayonne Pays Basque CCI, players from research and training, and employee labor unions.
The PIG is designed to promote the industrial basin, prospecting for and accompanying projects for businesses setting up in the area, in close collaboration with Total Regional Development and SOBEGI for the Induslacq and Chem’pole 64 sites.
Chemparc also ensures the management of the R&D, technological transfer and industrial application platform Chemstart'up in the chemistry, composite materials and energy transition sector, the owner being the Lacq-Orthez federation of municipalities.
The platform comprises four laboratory buildings and industrial pilot halls measuring 5,000 m² on a 5-hectare site. It houses six companies and 65 researchers or laboratory operators. A project is underway to extend the platform over a further 3,500 m² to accommodate three new structures and increase the number of employees on site to around 100.”
Lacq Plus - Guillaume LAUSSEL, President
Lacq Plus is a federating association composed of a hundred or so companies of all sizes, SMEs/SMIs and large industries, located on the Lacq basin. This regional association was created in 1995, and its dynamism is reflected in the work carried out by its four commissions: Employment/training, Life at work, Communication and Connected.
Its missions are to promote the basin, employment and competencies, improve and foster dialog between all its members, maintain and encourage their technical skills and competitiveness, and raise awareness among young people of the rich variety of professions available on the Lacq site.
The association supports various projects in a facilitating role, and takes action alongside all of its members, including TotalEnergies, to ensure the sustainability of the Lacq employment basin.
Pôle Avenia - Jean-Loup MINEBOIS, President
“For 10 years now, the Avenia cluster has been federating the leading players in subsurface industries (major groups, SME, start-ups, institutions and academics) in Southwest France and even nationwide.
TotalEnergies and the Avenia cluster created a strong relationship right from the word go. Many TotalEnergies employees have invested their time and effort in the cluster, in particular by presiding the innovation clubs and sitting on our committee of experts. Alain Lehner put in a lot of work for the cluster on behalf of SEMM LOGGING when he took over as president of the cluster from 2013 to 2016.
Initially present on the innovation aspect in R&D, our actions have evolved and developed to focus on international issues among others, co-lead with Total Regional Development (TDR) or more recently, as part of an innovation culture with the Booster.
Moreover, the Avenia cluster and TotalEnergies work together to develop the appeal of the local area by welcoming foreign delegations, such as the Senegalese delegation in 2019 for the GeoEnergyDays, an international trade fair and exhibition organized by the cluster. The TotalEnergies group has a high attendance rate at all the events organized by the cluster.”
Réseau Entreprendre® Adour – Pierre LALANNE, President
To create jobs, let's create employers."
Founded in 2003, Réseau Entreprendre® Adour is a recognized public-interest association that is caring and supportive, bringing together nearly 300 leaders. As a member of the international Federation Réseau Entreprendre®, we work locally: our actions radiate at the heart of each territory in the Adour region (Béarn, Bigorre, Basque Country, Landes, and Armagnac). Our mission: to contribute to the success of new entrepreneurs with potential (in start-ups, takeovers, or business development) by offering them free and methodical human and financial support. The human support for each new "laureate" is provided by passionate and experienced leaders who volunteer selflessly for a period of 2 to 3 years. The financial support takes the form of zero-interest, unsecured honor loans ranging from €15,000 to €50,000 per supported project. Our indicators? • 90% of laureate companies remain sustainable beyond their first three years of operation. • On average, each supported business creates or preserves 10 jobs.
To effectively carry out its mission, and since its inception, Réseau Entreprendre® Adour has relied on a strong partnership with TotalEnergies. Together, we work to support the risk-taking of new leaders in the region, create synergies among local economic development stakeholders, and facilitate connections to bring about projects with a positive impact!
Technopole Hélioparc - Mohamed AMARA, President
“Created 33 years ago on the initiative of local communities and the TotalEnergies company, through innovation, the Hélioparc technohub contributes to the economic development of Pau, its conurbation and the Béarn region.
From its technological campus, home to its different structures — 3 business incubators, three theme-based start-up incubators, an accelerator and a student incubator — and leading players in innovation, the Hélioparc’s reach extends across the entire conurbation, both in leading avenues of excellence or coaching young and innovative companies.
At the heart of a network including the university of Pau, the grandes écoles, the main institutions, the CSTJF and the large industrial groups, chambers of commerce, players in innovation and funding for innovation, Hélioparc works to create and develop new and innovative activities.
Having been awarded the technohub label by RETIS, the French network of innovation experts, Hélioparc has built an innovative and high-performance territorial ecosystem that fosters cross-sector fertilization, and scientific and technical exchanges that reflect activity in the local area: geosciences and petroleum engineering, materials, energy and environment and digital technologies.
Identifying and assessing innovative technologies, accompanying start-ups, structuring and leading different sectors, and promoting the local area and activities are the main missions carried out by Hélioparc.
Hélioparc’s 14-strong team organizes the site to house over 35 startups and 160 innovative companies, i.e. 1,500 high-level jobs, and unites over 350 companies in its different networks throughout the Béarn region.”